I got an email from a reader last winter. He'd been making sausage for years—bulk sausage—but never cased, because it would taste great in patties but when he'd case it the texture would go grainy and not at all like sausage.

Fortunately, I was already working on Sausage Season, and had already discovered the secret to creamy, luscious--cased--sausage and, in finding the secret to cased sausage, also improved my bulk sausage. That got creamier too. But that letter made me realize I probably wasn't the only one who'd been frustrated.

I am tired of the same old same old--drenched in liquid smoke or salted and peppered to death, or made in a 4:1 lean to fat ratio, that commercial processors want us to believe is 'all we can do with wild meat.' Bull pucky. Wild game meat is capable of a lot more than that. And the tricks to turning that elk, turkey, deer, antelope, goose or duck in your freezer into juicy cased sausage-that doesn't just rival commercial sausage but is better-are simple. You just have to know.

There are tricks. But they are simple tricks. And to keep them simple Sausage Season has lots of photos with detailed step-by-step instructions.

People have been making good sausage for centuries, and they're no smarter or prettier than the rest of us.

Comments from people who've bought the book:

"Got my two books yesterday(one is a gift). The recipe descriptions Eileen provides in her book came damn close to my eating some of the pages of the book. It's all pretty embarrassing and I should know better, but the truth will out. Glad I got the book and I'm starting tomorrow to make some terrific food. By far the easiest approach is to making sausage without a casing. Great food and easy to make. I'm all in, and delighted." CRS on 24hourcampfire.com

"Got my two books yesterday(one is a gift). The recipe descriptions Eileen provides in her book came damn close to my eating some of the pages of the book. It's all pretty embarrassing and I should know better, but the truth will out. Glad I got the book and I'm starting tomorrow to make some terrific food. By far the easiest approach is to making sausage without a casing. Great food and easy to make. I'm all in, and delighted." Steve C.

Diana Rupp, editor of Sports Afield says: “Eileen Clarke’s books are at the top of my list of great wild game cooking guides. . . . [She] is one of today’s foremost experts on game cookery . . . and Slice of the Wild is a real bullet-to-fork guide dedicated entirely to big-game recipes.”

‘GrizzlyBear,’ at CarolinasOutdoor.com/forums says : “This is the most concise, easiest to read and understand [game care and cooking] guide that I’ve seen…PERIOD. If you really want your meat tasting right then this is a MUST read, it will debunk even the most basic of our ‘old wives tales’ regarding animal care after the shot. Go buy it and let your mouth water.”

Stephen Carberry, cookbook buyer, says: “It’s incredible. All the info we always needed and never had. An instant classic.”

“I once had a vegan neighbor who hated the thought of hunting, until she chowed down on Eileen’s elk kabobs. Now she asks me when I’m going hunting again.” Terry Riebling, Pennsylvania deer hunter.

A hundred game recipes, 40 Wild Sides—tried and true side dishes Eileen and her husband, John Barsness, have paired with wild game for years—and an array of Tips & Tactics for making your wild game dinner less guess-ful. There is also a detailed, lavishly photographed section on game care, another on cutting your game to fit the size and tastes of your family so the steaks and roasts that end up on your table are as good as they can be. Did I mention the Rogues’ Gallery? A fork by fork (color photo by color photo) evaluation of a range of animals Eileen and John have taken over the years: the good, the bad, the gamy, and the chewy. Finally, there’s the T & T Test, the most uncomplicated way to evaluate game that’s ever been used. Know what you have before you start cutting and wrapping. No nonsense. No fancy stuff. And no more coping with mystery meat!

Upland Game Bird Cookery

First published by Ducks Unlimited, this all upland bird cookbook covers all your favorite American game birds from turkey and quail, to ruffed and sage grouse. With a complete how-to section on plucking birds, trimming and repairing damaged birds--and boning, breasting, everything for making your game birds not only taste delicious but look that way too. (Did you know you can pluck half-frozen birds? Or make whole pheasants lie flat on the grill?)

There are almost 100 recipes to please any palate, suggestions for ways to serve your birds, how many to serve, and what to serve them with. Plus 32 full color pages showing what your dishes will look like, and nearly 20 pages of black and white how-to-do-it photos.

Freshwater Fish Cookbook

How is this different from my Classic Fish cookbook? This book is all-American: all of our favorite fish recipes made with game fish. From beer batter fried fish to a tasty chilled walleye version of everyone's favorite, tuna salad, this is a collection of recipes you won't want to miss.

Classic Freshwater Fish Cooking

"Buy this book. It'll give you yet another reason to fish ... and provide wonderful meals as close as your kitchen bookshelf. The beautiful photos alone are almost enough to lure you in. This one's surely a keeper." --Foster's Sunday Citizen, Maine

Nearly 100 time-tested, crowd-pleasing lip smacking recipes for cooking walleye, bass, northern pike, trout and more. These are the classic fish recipes from around the world adapted to North American game fish--and simplified for your busy life. All recipes are made from easy to find ingredients and use easy to follow cooking methods.